Role

Dr Eric Baumgartner joined Nottingham Trent University as Head of Sociology in May 2017.

He is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership in the department, which consists of almost 50 colleagues and five distinct subject areas: Criminology (UG and PG), Sociology (UG and PG), Youth Justice (UG), Youth Studies (UG) and Career Development (PG).

Career overview

2017 Principal Lecturer International, Teesside University (School-wide Lead on the International Agenda under the Associate Dean International).

2015 - 2017, Subject Group Leader for Criminology and Sociology, Teesside University (Work Loading, Ensuring the Delivery of a Number of Diverse Programmes, Work Experience Opportunities, Employability, Cooperative Delivery of Inside Out).

2014 - 2015, Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Sociology, Teesside University (Programme Leader for MSc Global Development and Social Research Methods, Work Experience Opportunities, Delivery of Modules on Youth Justice, Gender, Criminal Justice, Criminological Theory).

2010 - 2014, Teaching Associate Criminology and Sociology, Durham University (p/t Delivery and Design of Lectures and Seminars across the Sociology and Criminology Provision).

Research areas

2016/17: Comparative Youth Justice on the example of the assessment of young people in Japan and England & Wales.

Gender performance and Diversity Management.

External activity

Eric has developed an emerging profile working with 3rd sector organisations, mainly in the criminal and youth justice sector as well as with Family stability Services, and Children’s and Young People’s Organisation. He participated in the design and delivery of service user-led intervention in the youth justice sector in cooperation with User Voice (2012) and developed an intervention programme for young adult male ‘offenders’ for the Northumbria Probation Service (2014). As Co-principal investigator he designed and executed an evaluation of a family stability service in the North East of England (2015) and currently (2017) works on developing a service user-led and participatory project with care leavers. In 2010 Eric founded the ‘INSPIRE’ project, which engages children and young people from a children’s village in Germany in informal English learning. At the centre of this project are some themes, which are central to all academic and non-academic work in which Eric engages: to increase the confidence of and service provision for (especially underprivileged) children and young people and provide an environment in which children and young people are enabled to reach their full potential.

In his latest research Eric has developed links with UNAFEI (United Nations for Asia and the Far East Institute). He also acts as external academic advisor for curriculum and staff development at Teikyo University of Japan in Durham and has over the last two years heavily engaged in peer-reviewing articles, book proposals and funding applications (Leverhulme) in the areas of Youth, Youth Justice, Social Work, Research Methods, Gender and Masculinity for a number of established publishers and journals (Oxford University Press, Policy Press, ‘Youth and Policy’, and Journal for ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’).

Eric is a member of the British Sociological Association (and the BSA subgroup of Heads and Professors of Sociology), the British Society of Criminology, The Howard League, and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

His academic and personal engagements have resulted in receiving an ‘outstanding contribution award’ from Northumbria Probation in 2015 and a ‘recognition of voluntary contributions’ awarded by Durham County Council. Eric has been nominated for the ‘Star’ award for learning and teaching at Teesside University.

Sponsors and collaborators

User Voice

Northumbria Probation Service

Local Children’s Commissioner

Teikyo University Japan

Teikyo University of Japan in Durham

Barnardos

SOS Children Village ‘Sauerland’

United Nations for Asia and the Far East Institute

Publications

Articles in Progress

Boys will be boys, or will they? Youth Offending Team Practitioners and their Constructions of Masculinity’ (Youth Justice: submission December 2016).

Japanese Youth Justice (British Journal of Criminology, submission March 2017)

Book Proposal: Masculinity and Youth Justice in England and Wales

January 2013: ‘A refreshing take on masculinity studies from beyond the ivory tower of academia’ Book Review of ‘Inclusive Masculinity-The Changing Nature of Masculinities’ in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, Vo.32, 1, pp. 120-122.

December 2012: ‘And then there were the Men- Masculinity and the Youth Justice System in England and Wales’ in Graduate Journal of Social Sciences, Special Edition: ‘Gendered Subjects’, no. 9, 3, pp. 79-86.

Press expertise

Eric has been interviewed by BBC Tees in the area of Youth Justice and enjoyed working closely with newspapers and online outlets especially around the INSPIRE project. He also contributes frequently to online and printed editions of newsletters for the SOS Children’s Village.

Eric is keen to work closely with Media Outlets to contribute to contemporary discussions around Youth & Criminal Justice and Masculinity, Gender, children & young people, and children in care.